Saiyan

Please note that this is the Dragon Ball Universe Wiki's article on the Saiyan race in the 7th Universe. If you are looking for the article on the 6th Universe counterpart then you should head to Saiyan.

Saiyans are a near-extinct naturally aggressive extraterrestrial species that made their home on Sadal, before emigrating to Vegeta. A majority of the race was exterminated by the tyrannical emperor, Freeza, however, a handful did manage to survive, rendering the race close to extinction. They play a central role in the second half of the Dragon Ball series, where it is revealed that Son Gokū is a Saiyan who was sent to Earth as a child.

Alongside Earthlings, the Saiyan race was among one of the first races to debut in the Dragon Ball series, making their appearance through Son Gokū in the first chapter of the manga, and they have maintained a vital role in the series since their introduction.

Contents

History

Yamoshi battles the evil Saiyans.

The Saiyans originated from Sadal, which it was later destroyed by the internal conflicts of the Saiyans. After that, the species stole another planet and named it "Planet Vegeta".[3] At some point in the past, a Super Saiyan God appeared. Detesting the evil in his race, five righteous Saiyans pooled their energies into this single Saiyan, creating a Super Saiyan God. The man fought off the evil Saiyans, but failed, due to the form's time limit, and evil once again took hold on planet Vegeta.[4]

The Saiyan race was eventually recruited into the Freeza's Army, and became some of the army's best fighters. However, out of a fear of the Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan God legend that the Saiyans were known for, the tyrannical emperor destroyed the entire species, leaving only a few scattered survivors.

Overview

Life Cycle

A young Kakarotto floating within an incubator.

Saiyans possess a sexual reproductive system that is compatible with that of a Earthling, as evidenced by their producing of fertile half-breed children. Saiyans and Earthlings have the same concept of gender, and a male and female are required to produce a breeding pair.[Note 1] Saiyans, however, do not have much of a concept of family; they rarely form male-female relationships with the exception of breeding purposes. The one exception to this are the Saiyan royal family, which do apparently have close-knit family ties.[5] Additionally, as children, Saiyans are kept in incubator pods until the parents decide they are ready to enter the battlefield.[6]

A Saiyan has a longer lifespan than a Earthling, though by how much remains unclear. Due to their nature as a war-mongering race, however, most Saiyans do not typically live to enjoy this benefit of their biology, and tend to die early in battle, making their average lifespan fairly short.[5] Saiyan infants appear to develop at a faster rate than humans, as they're able to hold up their own necks much earlier than human babies, and appear to enjoy rough behavior that would be considered unsafe for a regular human infant.[7] Saiyans have a naturally long childhood, retaining a small and childlike appearance for much of their early life, allowing them to deceive others around them as they grow older; after this, the body experiences a growth spurt that causes the Saiyan to grow into a size suited to fight. Beyond superficial changes from this point on, the Saiyan will hardly age.[8] The Saiyans remain in their prime like this for far longer than Earthlings so they can enjoy the thrill of battle longer.[9][10] and they quickly deteriorate after a certain age.[10]

The best example of a Saiyan's aging would be Son Gokū, the only pure-blooded Saiyan shown aging from childhood to adulthood in the series. Growing tends to vary between Saiyans as much as it does with Earthlings, but using Gokū for reference, Saiyans are shown to grow through phases. At the age of 14,[Note 2] Gokū appeared to be no older than an average 7-8 year old Earthling, and two years later, at age 17[Note 3] he'd barely grown at all, with his limbs growing out only slightly, a small increase in height and musculature. After three years, however, upon reaching physical maturity, Gokū's body underwent a massive growth spurt. At the age of 20,[Note 4] Gokū was around the same height as Yamcha, who was only two years older at the time.[Note 5]

As stated before, however, a Saiyan's development is not the same between every Saiyan. They do show similar developmental stages in childhood, but Vegeta, who is a year older than the Earthling Yamcha,[Note 6] appeared to be within the same size as the then three-year old Son Gokū and even Raditz.[8] Upon reaching adulthood, however, Raditz was a Saiyan possessed of a tall and muscular physique, while Vegeta, three years Gokū's senior, is shorter and smaller overall.

Once the body adapts to a fighting size, the Saiyan's aging slows down a great deal, becoming barely noticeable.[8] From this point on, there are only noticeable changes within the male Saiyans of the race. Evidenced primarily by Gokū and Vegeta, the only Saiyans shown to have aged between the years of 20 and 30, the body finalizes its physical maturity and a stark increase in muscle mass, as well as a growth in height. Taking Gokū's build between the Saiyan, Freeza, and Androids and Cell Arcs, he's become far more muscularly built, as well as even become a little taller. Vegeta himself gains additional increases in muscle mass that can be seen throughout the series from his introduction onward, and he's also gained additions to his height, as can be seen when comparing him to his introduction and later appearances in Dragon Ball.

Military and Social Structure

“

We're wired that way, didn't you know? Saiyans only like strong women.

”

—Vegeta to Gokū, DBS031

Two Saiyan elites, Nappa and Prince Vegeta, and a low-class warrior, Raditz.

The general population of Saiyans was considered to be relatively low, at only several thousand. Saiyans, due to their war-mongering nature, were unable to properly increase their population enough to reach substantial levels like the Earthlings.[11]

As a warrior race, and members of the Freeza's Army, the Saiyans have come to possess a formidable and organized military force that also reflects their social structure. The Saiyan's military, as part of the Freeza's Army, sends their forces to other planets, wiping out the indigenous people and selling the planet to the highest bidder.[12]

A Saiyan infant has their combat strength measured at birth. If it passes a certain threshold, they are treated as proper warriors and raised as candidates for combatants.[13]The Saiyan military is composed of mostly "low-class" Saiyan warriors.[5] Being a low-class, while common, also appears to be quite the social stigma, as Vegeta and Nappa constantly used the term when speaking to or about Gokū in a derogatory manner. Beyond the low-class warriors existed ten "mid-class" Saiyan soldiers, Saiyans with power beyond the norm of their species. And standing further above at the top, were the only known "elite-class" Saiyans, Prince Vegeta and his father, King Vegeta.[5]

It is not, however, impossible to rise beyond the ranks bestowed at birth. While a Saiyan's classification is based on their innate battle power, it is possible, if their battle power rises greatly after the decision, to be promoted to a higher rank, as with any other military.[5] Nappa identified himself as a Saiyan elite after the death of the remaining Saiyans, with no protest from Vegeta, hinting at the possibility of his own promotion.

Additionally, when a Saiyan baby was sent away from their planet for a mission or other purposes, they were referred to as a flying child (飛ばし子, tobashiko; Viz "infiltration baby").[14] Flying children consist of Saiyan children whose combat strength was measured at birth and determined to be low, and remained low despite being given time to mature. These children are not expected to survive the planets they are sent to conquer, but if they conquer their assigned planets, they are welcomed back into the fold as full combatants.[13]

"Engineers" also exist within the Saiyan hierarchy, and are another option for Saiyans with low combat strength.[13]

Even before joining the Freeza Army, Saiyan technology was more advanced than Earth.[15]

Habitat

As with similar species, Saiyans typically inhabit terrestrial planets, such as Earth or Vegeta. It is unknown precisely which kinds of planets they prefer, but Gine sent Kakarotto away to Earth due to its abundance of natural resources like food, thus Saiyans would likely prefer planets that can sustain their appetites.

Appetite and Diet

Gokū eating a large amount of food.

Out of all of the Saiyan traits, beyond their capacity for fighting, one of their most well-known attributes is their ravenous and insatiable appetites. Due to their immense power output, a Saiyan requires far more food a day than a typical Earthling, and have been seen consuming 50 course meals with relative ease, as seen by the then-14 year old Son Gokū at the end of the 21st Tenka-Ichi Budōkai. While a Saiyan is not too picky about what food they consume — or even what state the food is in, as Gokū has been seen consuming frozen meat, raw eggs, and even butter on one occasion[16] — they do tend to have a preference towards meat, showing that, while omnivorous, Saiyans have a carnivorous edge to their appetite. Unlike the love of fighting, this is not a trait exclusive to full-blooded Saiyans; even the normally polite Gohan has been seen consuming large amounts of food.[17]

Saiyans have sturdy digestive systems, allowing them to eat anything without regards for likes or dislikes. Saiyan children aren't initially able to consume as much food as an adult, but their digestive tracts develop to match their adult counterparts in due time.[15]

Despite the amount of food they eat, a Saiyan body never seems to gain weight. Saiyans, unlike Earthlings, actually find it favorable to eat a large amount of food before a big fight.[18] This is due to the fact that, if a Saiyan feels too hungry, it can actually impede their ability to fight, as seen with Gokū.[19]

A Saiyan who keeps their body after death can still become hungry, despite being dead, something repeatedly noted to be very odd. Son Gokū serves as the prime example of this, eating gargantuan meals even while he's dead, much to the surprise of the people around him.[20]

Personality

Saiyans are repeatedly stated to be a naturally violent species, and this is a common trait that shows through in nearly every full-blooded Saiyan to a varying degree. For a Saiyan, to fight is to live, and engaging in battle is something they do simply for the enjoyment of it. Even "pure-hearted" Saiyans, such as Son Gokū, retain the Saiyan's innate love for battle that never seems to fade, and merely fueled it into a competitive drive, rather than the senseless need to slaughter. Another common trait to Saiyans is pride; seen with both Gokū and Vegeta, pride can easily rule a Saiyan's every action. This is best seen when Vegeta allows Cell to attain his perfect form, purely for the sake of proving his own superiority. Gokū also claims that his pride as a martial artist caused him to greatly dislike the "borrowed power" of the Super Saiyan God form.[4]

Sympathy and affection does not come easily to a Saiyan, and appears to be more of a learned behavior than anything instinctual. Saiyans lack any true concept of family, and do not have much notion for love or marriage. Even blood-relations aren't of real concern to a typical Saiyan. Saiyans who do form pairs typically only form these pairs for the purposes of breeding, and pairs bonded by actual love are rare among the Saiyan race.[5] This stand-offishness applies even to comrades in battle. While bonds of camaraderie are typically more common between Saiyans than bonds of love, typical Saiyans, such as Vegeta and Nappa, show callous disregard for their own comrade Raditz. As opposed to being concerned about his death, they easily dismiss him as the weakest among them, though Nappa did suggest wishing Raditz back to life with the Dragon Balls if provided the opportunity.

While Saiyans who care for their own are certainly rare, they are not unheard of; such as Gine,[6] a Saiyan who was born with a pacifistic nature, lacking the innate Saiyan drive to fight, causing them to be ineffective as soldiers. Additionally, a Saiyan who does develop the ability to care for others will be willing to do nearly anything to protect the ones they love, evidenced by Son Gokū and Vegeta numerous times through the series. Both Gokū and Vegeta have sacrificed their pride and their lives on separate occasions to ensure the safety of their loved ones.

According to Vegeta, Saiyan women were particularly strong-willed, and thus it leads Saiyans males to often seek this trait in their mates.[21]

Tail

Son Gohan, a half-breed Saiyan, with a tail.

Saiyans, like some other alien races, possess an additional appendage, a tail. In the case of the Saiyan race, the tail they possess is identical to the tails of monkeys found on Earth — and presumably in other planets throughout the galaxy, if Freeza's knowledge of the species is any indication — and are covered in thick brown fur. These tails are the primary weakness of a Saiyan; if the tail is grabbed or squeezed or has pressure applied to it in any way, the Saiyan loses all of their strength and cannot fight back.[22] This weakness, however, can be overcome by training the tail, something Son Gokū, Vegeta, and Nappa would later do. Much like a monkey's tail, the Saiyan tail possesses full dexterity, and is more than capable of being used for menial tasks such as bathing, or in a fight, possessing enough power to knock a Earthling through a house.[23] Even a young Saiyan can knock out a fully grown Earthling man with a strike from their tail.[24]

Within the Saiyan tail is a gland, and it is this gland that allows the Saiyans to transform into Giant Monkeys. Absorbing Bruits Waves through the eyes triggers a reaction with the gland at the tip of a Saiyan's tail, triggering the change.[25]

While a Saiyan's tail is strong, it is also shown to be brittle, and can be ripped off of a Saiyan's body with enough physical force.[26] If necessary, a Saiyan can rip off their tails themselves, something Gokū had knowledge of during his fight with Raditz. However, if the Saiyan is still within the developmental stage of their life, the tail has the capacity to grow back; this has been evidenced with both Gokū and Gohan. As an adult, however, the removal of a Saiyan's tail is far more permanent; both Gokū and Vegeta, once their tails were removed, never had any instance of the tail growing back. Half-breed Saiyans may be born with a tail, as evidenced by Son Gohan, however, this does not always appear to be the case. Son Goten, Trunks, and Bra have never been seen with tails; whether they were born with them or not is unknown, however, it is possible the parents of the children may have simply had the tails permanently removed.

Additionally, Saiyans appear to value their tails as much, if not more, than they would other limbs. Raditz was particularly affronted when he saw Gokū had lost his tail, and that this was what allowed him to blend in with Earthlings, and Vegeta was particularly enraged at Yajirobe for cutting his tail off.[27]

Breeding with Earthlings

Saiyans and Earthlings have compatible reproductive systems; a fact that became necessary and fortunate to the survival of the Saiyan race when all female Saiyans were exterminated in the destruction of planet Vegeta. Saiyan hybrids are noted to have far more potential power than a full-blooded counterpart; Gohan is a prime example of this, being far stronger than his father ever was at the same age when he was a child. At the ages of 7 and 8, Goten and Trunks were the earliest known Super Saiyans in living history, and both appeared to achieve the form with relative ease.[28]

This results in what can only be described as a 'super ultra child prodigy', a half-Saiyan child to whom fighting is second nature; they can master various abilities at a very young age, even the normally arduous transformation into the Super Saiyan.[1]

The potential power of a Saiyan-half (サイヤ人（じん）ハーフ, Saiya-jin hāfu),[29] however, can be held in check by the fact that they lack the fighting drive so commonly seen in full-blooded Saiyans. The tends to vary between hybrids as much as personality varies between any individual, however; in their childhood, both Goten and Trunks tended to be as eager to fight as a typical Saiyan, referring to their battles as "games" and treating them as such.[30] Gohan, on the other hand, was a peaceful boy who was borderline pacifistic, outright refusing to kill even someone as terrible as Cell until pushed to the edge. However as Gohan got older, he began to enjoy the thrill of battle as shown when he fought the evil Majin Boo (Evil) as well as one of Universe Nine's strongest fighters Lavenda.

Personality-wise, a Saiyan-Hybrid tends to give into bouts of anger far easier than a full-blooded Saiyan does. While rage is an aspect of every Saiyan, and a major component to their powers, it takes far less to set off a half-breed than a full-blooded Saiyan. Between the ages of four and five, Son Gohan would lapse into immense rages during the many fights he was in, and these rages would boost his power to incredible levels, leading to surprising feats from such a young child. Goten, upon seeing his mother killed by an irate the evil fused Majin Boo, became enraged enough to attack without a second thought before being held back by Piccolo; the young boy would later take his anger and turn it into a tool to motivation his training within the Room of Spirit and Time.

As Saiyans are physically identical to Earthlings, a half-breed Saiyan has no trouble blending in with the general populace. While uncommon, half-breeds can be born with tails; Son Gohan was the only example of a half-breed born with a Saiyan tail, and it is unknown if Goten, Trunks, or Bra had tails at birth. Growth-wise, a half-breed appears to have varying and erratic growth periods, much like a full-blood. At age 9, during the Cell Game, Gohan was already muscularly built and fairly tall, resembling a Earthling in their early teens, rather than a prepubescent child. Goten and Trunks, however, are the opposite; at the ages of 11 and 12[4] had barely grown at all (physically or personality wise) in three years, growing much more like a full-blooded Saiyan would.

The growing of hybrids appears to change based on how they are raised. Son Goten and Trunks were raised more or less as fighters; Goten admitted to Chi-Chi training him,[28] and Trunks trained with his father in the Room of Spirit and Time.[31] Goten and Trunks would also repeatedly spar with each other as children, and even at the ages of 11 and 12[4] had barely grown at all, showing growth patterns akin to a pure-blooded Saiyan.

Pan, a quarter-Saiyan infant, already capable of holding up her own neck.

Pan, the only known example of a Saiyan-quarter (サイヤ人（じん）クォーター, Saiya-jin kuōtā),[1] was capable of flying around the entire planet at the age of 4 with little to no issue[32] and was even making a game out of it to beat her best times. Gokū described her as being a determined child, but what this says on the personality aspects of a quarter-Saiyan hybrid remains unknown; Pan's eagerness to fight could have simply been a byproduct from being raised around Gokū. Even at this age, the girl was stronger than the average adult Earthling male, capable of knocking a man out with only a single slap and a kick.[33] The capabilities of Saiyan hybrids beyond this point have not been shown.

Appearance

Male and female Saiyans; note the differences in build between gender.

The Saiyan race appears to be outwardly similar to the Human-type Earthling races that lives on Earth. Male Saiyans vary the most in appearance, shown being between tall and muscular, or short and stocky, with varying combinations in between. Few female Saiyans have been shown in the manga, but those who have been shown have lean builds, lacking any kind of musculature that their male counterparts possess. A pure-blooded Saiyan's hair is always black,[34] and never changes length once it reaches its fully grown out.[35] However, the hair style still changes with age, and that Nappa went bald.[36] This trait does not apply to half-breeds. Additionally, a Saiyan can grow facial hair, exhibited by both the Saiyan king Vegeta[4], his oldest son, Vegeta, and Son Gokū.[37]

The true distinction between Saiyans and the Human-type Earthling race are the monkey-like tails Saiyans possess. Without this tail, a Saiyan can easily pass for a Human-type Earthling. Tails are another curious trait that don't often apply to half-breeds. Gohan was born with a tail, but Goten, Trunks, and Bra have never been seen with a tail.

Abilities

The Saiyan race are known as some of the most proficient fighters in the universe. Among other races, Saiyans have a natural fighting sense that makes them formidable opponents even with very little training. A Saiyan is perhaps the only race that has naturally evolved for fighting; every aspect of their being has been enhanced and can be taken advantage of in combat. Their senses are known to exceed that of a Earthling by some degree; even as a child, Gokū was able to see Kame-Sennin riding on the back of Turtle well into the horizon, and has claimed that his sense of smell is the same as a dog; a dog's sense of smell being 40 times greater than a Earthling, this is a considerable claim and difference.[38] Their physical abilities also tend to outstrip that of a any Earthling in a similar developmental period, as even a young Saiyan child can survive hits from bullets and crush bricks with only a single finger.

The Saiyan race possesses a natural affinity for utilizing their ki, shown by Son Gokū, who, at age 14 with a power level of 10, was able to use the Kamehameha, a ki technique that took 50 years to develop in the hands of a Earthling, with little to no issue. This is a trait that extends even to half Saiyans; with six months of surviving in the mountains at the age of four, was able to shoot ki from his palms despite being entirely self-taught up to that point.[39]

As a race that is born to fight, a Saiyan improves after every fight, possessing a rather remarkable healing factor. However, it isn't only after a fight in which a Saiyan can improve; Saiyans possess the remarkable capacity to adapt during a fight. Even if a Saiyan is fighting an opponent in which there is a large gap in their powers, the longer the Saiyan fights, the more this gap would shrink, and eventually, it might be possible for the Saiyan to turn the tide of the fight in their favor.[40]

The Saiyan race is also the only known race to have the capacity to become a god of mortal origin. This effectively allows a Saiyan who can become a Super Saiyan God to reach the highest pinnacle of strength the universe allows; godhood.[4]

Physical Abilities

Among all the species in the universe, Saiyans have some of the most remarkable physical abilities, which is only further augmented by their natural control of ki and transformation into a Super Saiyan. Their physical strength exceeds that of most other races; even at the age of 14, Gokū was able to shatter bricks with a single finger,[41] and hoist a car over his head, albeit with difficulty. With only a few short months training, Gokū was able to move a boulder twice his size, albeit with considerable difficulty.[42] Despite how strong they are physically, there is a limit to a Saiyan's base form through normal training; however, enhancing their bodies through ki control gives Saiyans considerable boosts in power. Gokū, for example, was able to easily move around with eight tons of total additional weight strapped to his arms and legs (two tons for each limb), but when he transformed into a Super Saiyan, he was able to handle forty tons in total (ten on each limb) without exerting any effort at all, even calling it "easy".[43] Saiyans are also known to have very durable bodies. This was shown when Gokū was shot in the back of the head by a revolver and all it did was give him a sting.

In terms of speed, Saiyans are notably fast and agile; with only a power level of ten, Gokū was able to run 100 meters in 8.5 seconds with ease.[44] By the time of their adulthood, a Saiyan is more than capable of outspeeding man-made automobiles, and one of Gokū's own greatest feats of speed was crossing Namek in merely seconds to get from Freeza's spaceship to Freeza himself.[45] To go along with their speed, a Saiyan has impressive reflexes; they're more than capable of catching bullets with their bare hands[46] and Gokū was one able to escape explosions in which he is paralyzed at the instant the blast occurs, escaping with only minimal damage.[47] A Saiyan's agility is increased only further through training and transformation; Gokū, as a Super Saiyan, was more than capable of taking Freeza by surprise through speed alone, when before, he was more than outmatched.
Saiyans are built quite like tanks. No matter the punishment they receive, its shown time and time again that if a Saiyan can get back up and fight, they will. Numerous times, a Saiyan has been shown to receive wounds that would kill a normal Earthling, but can either be shrugged off or prove to be only irritating or crippling to a Saiyan. At the age of 14, with a power level of 10, Gokū was able to withstand the impact of multiple bullets, only saying they hurt. Repeatedly, Vegeta has shown himself capable of taking beatings to a ridiculous degree and still push himself to his absolute physical limits in fighting back. Even critical wounds, such as blows to the heart, are not immediately critic to a Saiyan; they can continue to speak for several minutes at a time, even with their heart pierced, before dying.
While the Saiyan race is already powerful, their power doesn't even compare to the potential they have. Given the right training, they can become exponentially more powerful than they already are.

Part of what makes the Saiyan race such efficient fighters is their method of healing. While a Saiyan does not appear to heal any faster than a Earthling, they have a very unique buff that occurs when they've recovered from injuries that prove to be near fatal, where the Saiyan gains a large increase in power. This buff was exploited by Saiyans in the Freeza's Army; after battles, the injured Saiyan could be placed in a rejuvenation chamber by a doctor working for the Empire, and would find their wounds healed within a generally short period of time, When the healing session concludes, the healed Saiyan would find an increase in power and return to the battlefield. According to Vegeta, a boost will not be received if the wound is self-inflicted, meaning it has to come from an external source.[48] Additionally, a Saiyan can easily exploit this buff should they choose to; if the situation presents itself, a Saiyan can lower his own energy to make himself vulnerable to a weaker comrade's lethal blow,[48] and then be healed back to their full capacity, and still receive a very sizable boost.[49][Note 7]

This power boost appears to increase exponentially with each use. Gokū's usage of it for examples had minimal power ups the first few times he used it, against his near death with Piccolo. After using it repeatedly, his power level went from 90,000 to 3,000,000 when he recovered from his fight against Captain Ginyū. There have been times where the power boost from healing has either been minimal or non-existent, as seen when Gohan was fighting the evil Majin Boo. Dende had used his healing abilities to heal Gohan, who had been close to dying, but Gohan was still outmatched, showing the boost was either minimal or simply had not occurred.[50]

The power increase that Saiyans gain from fighting has been shown to be a desirable trait, as Gokū Black commented on his body's ability to gain strength through fighting as the ultimate blessing of the gods.[51] It is this precise power that made him believe immortality was unnecessary with a body whose combat strength constantly rises.[52]

Transformations

Saiyans are one of several alien races with the ability to transform. Being the first species in the entire series shown to do so, the Saiyan race possesses a total of six known transformations within the manga and its movie and anime continuations. Each Saiyan transformation grants the Saiyan a varying increase in power, and serve to enhance their already immense fighting prowess.

The first among the forms a Saiyan can access is one available to every Saiyan; the Great Monkey Transformation. This form can only be accessed by a Saiyan with a tail, and transforms the Saiyan into a giant, ape-like creature. The next form is known as a Super Saiyan, and was passed down in Saiyan folklore as the ultimate fighter. The Super Saiyan form also possesses several variations; Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, and Super Saiyan Blue, in addition to two enhanced versions of the base Super Saiyan, and a mastered state. Additionally, a Saiyan can access another form referred to as a Super Saiyan God, a form related to the Super Saiyan form that can be accessed when five righteous Saiyans pool their energy into a single other Saiyan. Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan can only be used by a Saiyan who has mastered the power of a Super Saiyan God.[4]

A variation of the original Super Saiyan form is used by Gokū Black, referred to as Super Saiyan Rosé. This form is directly related to Super Saiyan Blue, and is what occurs when a Saiyan who is a true deity surpasses the Super Saiyan God.

Only in the anime, an additional form, seperate from the traditional Super Saiyan line, was revealed: Super Saiyan 4. This form combines aspects of the Great Monkey Transformation and the Super Saiyan form, creating a form that surpasses the Super Saiyan 3 in both power and efficiency of ki consumption.

Intelligence

Saiyans are known to have a very strong memory, dating back to when they were infants and small children. When Raditz arrived on Earth, he fully expected Kakarotto (Son Gokū) to both recognize him, as well as remember his alleged mission to destroy all life on Earth, despite the fact that Gokū had been sent to Earth as a toddler,[53][54] and Raditz's best memory of his younger brother was when Gokū was an infant[55] Raditz still expected Gokū to recognize him.

In Other Universes

Sixth Universe

Main article: Saiyan (Sixth Universe)
The Sixth Universe also harbors Saiyans. The HakaishinChampa specifically recruited a Saiyan by the name of Cabba[56] into his team to compete in his tournament against the 7th Universe's.[57] According to Cabba, the Saiyan still live prosperously on their original planet, Sadal, and, due to having evolved to lose them, no longer possess the trademark Saiyan tail. Furthermore, they're still warriors, but are hired to fight criminals and lawbreakers.[58]

Trivia

The name "Saiyan" is an anagram of the Japanese word for yasai (野菜 vegetable), follow by the suffix -jin (人 or じん), meaning "person". In the Japanese anime, the word is pronounced "Sigh-ya-jin", while in the English dub, it is pronounced "Say-an".

According to the Daizenshū, a Saiyan shares their average lifespan with Earthlings — around 70 to 90 years, with the occasional exceptions.[59] However, this contradicts with Toriyama's later statement that a Saiyan's lifespan is longer than an Earthling's, a fact that would be brought up repeatedly in later material such as Dragon Ball Super.

Acording to Vegeta and/or Gokū, a Saiyan remains physically young until they are 80 years old.[60][61]

In Daizenshū 4, the term for a full-blooded Saiyan is given as "pure Saiyan" (純粋サイヤ人, jinsui Saiya-jin).[1]

The French and AB Groupe dub (also known the as "Big Green dub") refer to Saiyans as 'Space Warriors' — this was also present in the Portugese dub of Dragon Ball Z. Subsequently, Super Saiyans are referred to as 'Super Space Warriors', or 'Super Warriors'.

In a similar vein, the Speedy dub refers to the Saiyans as the "Saiya People", "Saiyas", or "Saiya Man".

Toriyama would later explain that he did away with Saiyan tails because he could not figure out how Gokū got dressed with the tail attached. Due to being annoyed by this, he simply did away with the tails entirely.[62] In spite of this, it was mentioned earlier in the series that Gokū simply makes a hole in his pants for the tail to fit through, making it likely that Toriyama simply forgot.[63]

Notes and References

Notes

↑Dragon Ball Minus, page 9 and Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, page 216 confirmed to have been sent to Earth as age 3 in Dragon Ball Minus; Bulma was 5 at the time. Bulma, who is 16 when the series starts, is therefore two years older than Gokū.

↑Gokū's age was 14 at the start of the series, and a three year time-skip had occur ed between Fortuneteller Baba Saga and Tenshinhan Saga, thus making him 17 when he competed in the 22nd Tenkaichi Budōkai.